The 7th "ONE PIECE" - A model of live-action film adaptation that fans can't help but agree with! The 7th "ONE PIECE"--the live-action drama version is a shining example of live-action adaptation that fans can't help but agree on, with its overflowing love for the original work and its love-induced restructuring!

On the other hand, many people may have the unfortunate impression that live-action films based on anime or manga are "ah, so it's live-action. ...... However! Are live-action movies based on anime and manga really all disappointing? Are we not being influenced by the opinions of those around us and making up stories based solely on images without having seen the full-length films?

So, let's take a look at some controversial anime and live-action films based on manga.

The 7th ONE PIECE

A live-action version of "ONE PIECE" is now being distributed on Netflix.

The manga series has been serialized for 26 years, with more than 100 issues published. The series has been serialized for 26 years and has sold more than 100 books, making it a national comic that boasts sales of more than 400 million copies as "the most published comic series by a single author. It has been adapted into animation, movies, picture books, ice shows, Kabuki theater, and other media, and it is not unusual to see collaborative products on the streets. It is no longer unusual to see collaborative products on the streets. The media mix of "ONE PIECE" has become the norm, and the focus is now on where the series will expand next.

In such "One Piece" circles, this live-action adaptation has been particularly astonishing. The live-action adaptation was announced in 2017 in a comment written by the original author, Eiichiro Oda. The exclusive distribution on Netflix was then announced for 2020, and fans have been waiting for six years for the distribution at the end of August, 2023. The film was unveiled amidst high expectations, and in conclusion, it was felt that the film was a reconstruction of the drama, full of respect for the original work, and a solid visualization of the appeal of the original work, in which people with different aspirations become friends.

The live-action cast respects the original not only in appearance, but also in silhouette and coloring.

ONE PIECE" is a story set in the "Great Pirate Age" where unique pirates vie for the "Greatest Treasure of All" (ONE PIECE) left by the pirate king Gold Roger. The live-action version consists of eight episodes, which depict the early episodes of the "Eastern Seas" (book 1-11) of the original story.

One of the difficult themes in the live-action adaptation is how to recreate the manga-like characters. The main character Luffy, who has the ability to extend his arms and legs but is a kanazuchi, Zoro, a three-sword swordsman who uses both hands and his mouth, Nami, a navigator who is fussy about money for one reason or another, Usopp, a sniper with a big talkative temper, Sanji, a cook who fights with his kick, etc., all have a mass of individuality. In the manga, they are depicted in Oda's deformed drawings, and their exploits over 106 volumes are ingrained in the reader's brain, so it is impossible to produce anything inferior.

However, the live-action version does an excellent job of recreating the characters' appearance, even their silhouettes and colors, so that fans of the original work will be able to fit right in. Luffy's silhouette, for example, is characterized by somewhat loose short sleeves and half pants, with thin arms and legs extending from them. This gap between the two emphasizes the elasticity of his arms and legs, and the live-action version also reproduces this aspect of Luffy's silhouette well. The silhouette of Luffy is clearly Luffy, not only in close-up shots but also in small distant shots, and this does not interfere with the viewer's immersion in the world of the work.

In the original story, Luffy has black hair and dark eyes, a look reminiscent of the Japanese, but in this film he is played by the Mexican actor Iñaki Godoy. However, there is no difference in the image of the original Luffy; the brightness and beauty of his southern eyes, as well as his sharp expression when he gets serious, are just like Luffy's. The dubbed voice actors are the same as in the anime. The voice dubbed by Mayumi Tanaka is the same as in the anime, and her masculine performance, which is closer to Godoy's, presents a new image of Luffy.

The casting of Kensuke Nitta as Zoro, Emily Rudd as Nami, Jacob Romero Gibson as Usopp, and Taz Skyler as Sanji are all well suited for the role, and the silhouette and coloring are reproduced in the same way as Luffy, so fans of the original manga will be satisfied with the result.

The live-action version of the film also includes such enemy characters as Baggy, a disembodied clown, and Aaron, a fish who hates humans because he believes himself to be a superior species, which makes them even more terrifying. Baby carriage may look like a clown, but his ability to sway Luffy's mind with his selfish resentment, along with Jeff Ward's passionate performance, makes him truly terrifying. This is a depiction that could only come from overseas, where clownophobia (chorlophobia), the fear of clowns, is widely known, and it leaves an unforgettable impact. Aaron's sawfish-like nose is smaller in size than in the original film, but there is no room for such comments when he is staring at you with the power of Mr. McKinley Belcher's eyes. Despite his power and brutality more than others, he binds people with the hateful human style of money and promises, and the sharpness of his mind and the fear of his inner complex are amplified as he rallies his subordinates with memories of the abuses suffered by the fish people, which is also quite impressive.

No-cutting live-action action that makes the manga-like setting convincing

Efforts have been made to recreate the charm of the original work in the action as well.

Luffy's extended body is represented in CG, and his movements, from small moves to big ones, are truly Luffy-like. The visuals of Luffy's arms, legs, and head stretching in the live-action film are startling even to those who know the original story, and the viewer's feelings are synchronized with those of the supporting characters who are surprised to see this.

Zoro's santo-ryu has also become more powerful. The santo-ryu is a sword technique unique to this work, in which Zoro holds a sword in each hand and a sword in his mouth. There are many characters in the world who use two swords, but none other than Zoro has ever been seen using three swords. It is not difficult to imagine that the reason for this is that it is difficult to find a way to make him use the third sword. Moreover, this is a live-action film. If he is not able to make the audience believe that he is strong because he has a sword in his mouth while real people are standing around, he will not be convincing as Zorro. This is the part of the design of the fight scene where the necessity and tactical advantage of putting a sword in his mouth is shown at the realistic level of live action.

In the live-action version of Zoro's fight against the axeman Morgan, he uses two swords in each hand to block the enemy's movement and then thrusts the sword he is holding into his neck. The roughness of Zoro, who even uses his mouth as a weapon, fits the image of Zoro, and "He is strong because he holds a sword in his mouth" is persuasive when he cannot prevent the enemy with his hands.

And the highlight of Sanji's fight is the weight of his body. His kicking techniques, such as the middle kick-like "courgette," the neck kick "collier," the shoulder kick "epaule," the chest kick "poitrine," and the finishing truss kick "mutton shot," look so brilliant and heavy that one begins to feel sorry for the opponent who eats them. You feel sorry for the person who gets hit by them. The amount of information provided by the physical action of the real people adds even more persuasive power to Sanji's strength.

The strange arrangement and rearrangement of the early story packaged into eight episodes

Along with the action, another interesting aspect of the film is the skill with which the story is trimmed and rearranged.

In the original story, the pirates of the enemy fleet are introduced as unique characters, and battles are fought one after the other. In the live-action version, however, many of the characters were cut and the flow of the story was rearranged. The bounty hunters Yosaku and Johnny, who are Zoro's subordinates; Moji, a beast of prey who rides a giant lion; Geymon, a curious islander who lives in a treasure chest; the bell peppers, carrots, and onions of Usopp's pirates; and Pearl, an iron-clad woman who protects herself with a shield, were all omitted from this version. This is the difference between a weekly serialization, in which a battle must be presented in each episode to keep the reader's attention until the next week, and a live-action drama, in which each episode is an hour long. Some of the characters appear only briefly in the form of arrangements, indicating that the production team had to make a difficult decision to cut the story.

In addition to trimming the story, efforts are also made to expand it. A good example of this is the treatment of Coby, which is a surprise to anyone who has seen the live-action version.

Coby is a cowardly boy who appeared in the early stages of the original story. He has given up his dream of joining the navy because he is being bullied by the ferocious female pirate Alvida. He is a mirror image of Luffy, who always follows his dream no matter what, and the way he bows down to reality and unreasonableness invites readers' emotional involvement.

In the original story, he left the story in the first volume, and after a fragmentary appearance in the short story "Kobimeppo Struggle Diary" on the cover, he reappeared in volume 45 in a grown-up form. He became a symbol of "ONE PIECE" as a historical romance.

On the other hand, in the live-action version, his appearance after parting with Luffy is depicted in detail. Together with Helmeppo, the axeman Morgan's dragoons, he becomes a subordinate of naval tycoon Lieutenant General Garp, and accompanies him on his mission to pursue Luffy. At this point, Coby has only keen insight and a burning sense of justice, but his talents are discovered by Lieutenant General Garp, who eventually trains him. He grows up strong in the navy, an organization that sometimes confronts him with the dirtiness of reality, and he follows his dreams, a drama that could have taken place anywhere in the "One Piece" world. At the same time, the characters are portrayed as familiar to ordinary viewers, especially working people, making them want to root for them.

Life in the Navy, depicted with the amount of information in the live-action film, brings the world of "ONE PIECE" to a deeper level. Even the rope that Coby ties for work is "real," and its bluntness conveys at a glance the difficulties of life in the Navy. The power of live-action is the power of persuasion.

Drama direction that makes you cry even in live-action

There are also scenes that extend the imagination of the original work. For example, in the first episode, during Luffy's childhood, the pirate Shanks and his gang, whom he idolizes, beat up a gang of outlaw bandits. Shanks holds up his index finger to the bandit with his empty hand, as if he is pulling a trigger, and the bandit falls with a roar as if something has happened. As the camera rolls, we see that behind Shanks are his companions, and the finger signal indicates that they have sniped him.

If you go back and read the original story here, you will see that the flow is the same, but the distance between friend and foe is closer than in the live-action version. Shanks is held at gunpoint by the bandits, but he points to his gun and lectures them with a spare word, saying, "You pull out your gun, you better mean it. Then his friends help him out. The action of pointing is expanded to express the depth of the bond between Shanks and his friends and the certainty of his skill, an arrangement that shows the love for the original work.

One of the episodes in which this arrangement is demonstrated is episode 3, in which Usopp makes his appearance. Usopp is a snob who lies every day that pirates are coming. His only friend is Kaya, a sickly girl who lives in his mansion, and she is cheered up by his tales of adventure (which are full of lies). Kaya is going to inherit a huge fortune left by her parents, and her life seems to be safe in a sense, but in fact, there is someone who wants to take it. ...... is a checkered episode.

In the original story, Usopp, Luffy, and the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates, as well as the boys of Usopp's pirate gang, fight against the Kuroneko Pirates in order to protect Kaya from the approaching evil. The live-action version, on the other hand, focuses more on the human drama, with the relationship between Usopp and Kaya, Zoro's past, and Nami's personality being depicted in detail as everyone confronts their pursuers in the closed house.

An interesting scene is when Nami and Kaya come to understand each other as women. Nami recognizes Kaya's strength, but also admonishes her, based on her own experience, not to entrust her life to others. The character of Kaya becomes more attractive, and the scene becomes more significant when Nami's past is revealed later in the story. The last scene in which Usopp tries to leave the village as a pirate is also changed to a scene in which he is unable to leave the village because he is worried about Kaya, who is sickly and weak. Kaya tells Usopp, who is in distress, "Don't worry, I'm going to become a doctor. I want you to go around the world and tell me about your real adventures this time.

One Piece" is a story of aspiring pirate kings, great swordsmen, navigators, cooks, and others who help each other as friends. As depicted again in episode 8, although they have different goals, they are all bound together by the bonds of friendship. In the live-action version, Kaya, who does not become a pirate, is able to join this circle, which makes the story even more moving. Usopp's concern for Kaya also emphasizes the depth of his feelings for her, and this arrangement is sure to please fans.

In this episode, Luffy and his crew obtain their longed-for ship, the Going Merry. In the live-action version, Luffy names the ship after Mary, the butler who has been protecting Kaya, and it is interesting to see that this also emphasizes the depth of emotion. As for Luffy and Zoro, through their defeat against the powerful enemy Mihawk in the following episodes 5 and 6, the weight of pursuing dreams is heavily depicted. Pursuing a dream means taking responsibility for one's own actions, even if the results are disappointing. Zoro is defeated because of his inexperience, and Luffy can only watch over him. The scenes of frustration depicted by the live-action actors with their high acting ability are heavy, and because of this, we are drawn to the resilience of the characters as they rise again.

While there are various arrangements, the characters' principles of action and the famous scenes that emerge from them are just as in the original story. Luffy is angry at Aaron for treating Nami as a tool, Zoro vows to become the world's greatest swordsman for his prematurely deceased rival, Sanji thanks Zeph for saving his life, and other famous scenes that are popular in the original story are reproduced here. What is noteworthy here is the "crying" performance. In the original story, one of the highlights of the film is that the characters with various pasts break down emotionally and cry so hard that their faces are disfigured. We live in modern Japan, where we are expected to act cool in the face of unreasonable circumstances, so we are moved by the passion and straightforward expression of emotion. On the other hand, the "crying" in the live-action version is not as big as in the original, but the character portrayals are well-developed and convincing enough to make us cry just as much as in the original.

The last part of episode 8 depicts the bond between those who have their own ambitions. Nami is finally freed from her spell and joins her friends, and the way they talk about their dreams with their legs draped over Taru is very "One Piece" like. In this story, Coby is reunited with Luffy. He hands over Luffy's wanted post with a bounty on it as a pirate, and the two are overjoyed that their dreams have come true. Although they have different aspirations, their bond as friends is strong, and I believe that even older fans will be able to strongly empathize with this story.

As mentioned at the beginning of this report, the live-action version of "One Piece" may have omitted various characters and rearranged the story, but I felt that the essence of the "One Piece" story has been well reproduced in this work. The human drama aspect of the story is emphasized, and even adults can enjoy it. On the other hand, the story has been reconstructed based on a solid understanding of the original, so it will be interesting to discover how and where it has been rearranged.

Another hidden highlight of the live-action film is that the amount of information in the background, such as the sea and the sailing ships, has been increased even more. The size and power of the terrifying navy ship, the beautiful Baratier restaurant on the sea, and the Going Merry, the home of the reliable Straw Hat crew, are remarkable and will expand your imagination when you read the original story in the future.

The live-action version of "ONE PIECE" has already been confirmed for Season 2. It will be interesting to see how Tony Tony Chopper, who looks like a stuffed animal, will be portrayed in the live-action version.

It will be interesting to see how Chopper, who looks like a stuffed animal, will be portrayed in live-action. Even if live-action adaptations of "One Piece" continue to be made in the future, Season 1 made us believe that this staff will exceed our expectations.

(Text by Shinichi Yanamoto)